Mica-splitting machine.



No. 677,775. Paented luly 2, |90l. I. DE KAISER & C. W. HADFIELD.

MICA SPLITTlNG MACHINE.

(Appumion med oem 22, 189m (No Model.)

HTIITIITFH:

'wir/lesses.-

TTUHNEV.

1 Acum: Perini co. mum-Lma..

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE ISAAC DE KAISER, OF PITTSBURG, AND CHARLES WM.HADFIELD, OF BRAD- DOCK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE WESTINGHOUSEELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MloA-SPLITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,77 5, dated July 2,1901.

Application filed October 22, 1897. Serial No. 656,013. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, IsAAo DE KAISER, residing at Pittsburg, and CHARLESWM. HAD- FIELD, residing at Braddock, in the county of y Allegheny andState of Pennsylvania,citizens of the United States, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Mica-Splitting Machines, (Case No. 758,) ofwhich the following is a specification.

Io Our invention relates to machines for cutting or splitting materialinto sheets, and more particularly to machines for splitting mica,though not necessarilylimited to such use.

The object of our invention is to producea machine of the characterspecified which shall be comparatively simple in construction andeffective in operation.

It has been the usual practice prior to our 2o invention to split micainto thin sheets, such as are used in the arts, by means ofmanuallyoperated knives. In cases where machines have been used for thispurpose difficulty has been experienced in so supporting and main- 2'5taining the material in position that the splitting implement mayperform its function in a satisfactory manner. It is the main purpose ofour invention to provide a means for holding the material rigidly duringthe opgo eration and for automatically releasing the severed sheet assoon as the splitting-blade has done its work. W'e propose to attainthese results by producing a partial vacuum beneath the material to beoperated upon and 3 5 by restoring the normal atmospheric pressure assoon as the sheet has been severed from the main body of the mica.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partially in section,but mainly in 4o plan, of a machine constructed in accordance with ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a View, partially in side elevation and partiallyin section, ofthe machine shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail sideelevation of a portion of the machine.

The details of construction illustrated in the drawings are as follows:

lis a supporting stand or base from which projects upwardly a stationarystud or shaft 5o 2, provided with a longitudinal bore or passage 3, thelower end of which communicates with the pipe 4:, leading to an air-pump5, of any suitable construction.

Mounted upon the stationary shaft or stud 2 so as to rotate freelythereon is an annu- 55 lar supporting-table 6, provided with a series ofannularly-arranged sets of perforations 7. The number of such sets ofperforations may obviously be varied from that shown to suit theconvenience of the builder or user of the 6o machine. Each of these setsof perforations communicates with a receptacle or box 8, depending fromthe under side of the table, and each box communicates with the innerperiphery of the hub 9, which surrounds the stud or shaft 2, by means oftubes or pipes l0, which serve as 'air-conduits and also assupporting-arms for the table 6. A horizontally-extending arm l1 isclamped upon the upper end of the stud or shaft 2 and is pro- 7o videdat or near its outer end with a knife or blade l2, which is preferablyadjustable vertically, as indicated in the drawings.

The bore or passage-wayv 3 in the stud or shaft 2 communicates with theouterperiph- 75 ery of the stud on one side bymeans of alaterally-extending passage 13, which is preferably of sufficient widthlaterally, at least at its outer end, to insure open communicationbetween each box or receptacle 8 and the air- 8o pump 5 during the timethe perforations communicating` with such box are passing under theknife 12. When a set of perforations has passed the knife, the inner endof the corresponding pipe or tube 10 comes into 85 communication with agroove 14 in the stud 2, one end of which is open, and therefore permitsof the entrance of air to the corresponding receptacle or box S, andthus restores the equilibrium of pressure on the two sides of the tableat that point.

' The table may be rotated by any suitable means, a pulley l5 upon thehub 9 and a belt 16, extending therefrom to a suitable drivingshaft,being shown for this purpose in the 95 drawings.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Assuming that the table 6 isrotated by` means of the belt 16 and pulley 15 in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. l and that the Io'o blade 12 is adjustedvertically in order to sever a sheet of the desired thickness, a blockor thick plate or sheet of material is placed upon the ytable over'theset of perforations at the left and nearest the blade, and when such setof perforations reaches nearly the position indicated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings the air-pump 5, acting through the passages 3, 13, and 10, willhave exhausted the air beneath the material to such a degree that theatmospheric pressure from above will hold the same rigidly upon thetable. The rotation of the table will therefore carry the material withit and cause the knife to separate a sheet of the desired thickness fromthe bottom, the upperportion of the material sliding over the knife tobe again placed in position over a set of perforations for the purposeof severing another sheet from its bottom. A block 17, of mica or othermaterial, is shown in position over one of the suction-boxes 8 in Fig.3, a sheet 18 being indicated as partially separated from the block bymeans of the blade 12. As soon as the severed sheet passes the blade andarm the atmospheric pressure will be restored to the box beneath thatset of perforations by the entrance of air through the groove 14 andpipe 10. The sets of perforations Will thus be brought into position oneafter another, and the operation may be repeated indefinitely, the onlyattention necessary being the removal of the severed sheets and theplacing of the material to be operated upon in position to be engaged bythe knife as the table rotates.

Vhile We have described a specific form of machine for practicing ourinvention, we desire it to be understood that the details ofconstruction of such machine may be Varied Within Wide limits withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will be understood that the knife may be the movable member or thatthe knife and table may be moved in opposite directions and that theknife may be adj usted to remove the top instead of the bottom layer ofmaterial.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination with a table and a bladewhich are relatively movable, of means for producing an unbalancedatmospheric pressure upon that portion of the table Which is adjacent tothe blade whereby material to be treated will be held firmly inposition.

2. In a machine for splitting mica, the combination With a stationaryblade and a movable table parallel to each other and means for producinga partial vacn um beneath the material to be treated whereby suchmaterial Will be held in position by atmospheric pressure.

3. The combination with a blade and a relatively movable table providedwith sets of perforations, of means for producing a partial vacuumbeneath each set of perforations as it comes into position beneath theblade.

4. In a machine for splitting mica or analogous material, thecombination With a splitting-blade and a table provided With sets ofperforations and movable in a plane parallel and adjacent to said blade,of means for producing suction through each set of perforations as itcomes into position beneath the Iblade.

5. The combination with a stationary splitting-blade and a perforatedtable the upper surface of which is parallel and adjacent to said blade,of means for rotating said table and means for producing a partialvacuum beneath the perforations in the table.

6. A clamping-support for sheet material comprising a table providedWith sets of perforations and means for alternately producing anddestroying a partial vacuum beneath each set of perforations.

7. In a machine for splitting mica, the conibination with a table andmeans for rotating the same, of means for producing an unbalancedatmospheric pressure successively upon the upper surface of the table atdifferent points and a knife or blade located parallel and adjacent tothe upper surface of the table.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto subscribed our names this 20th dayof October, A. D. 1897.

ISAAC DE KAISER. CHARLES WM. IIADFIELD.

Witnesses:-

WESLEY G. GARR', HUBERT C. TENER.

